It's that time again...file your FAFSA today!

Now
that the spring semester is underway, don't let too much time get away
before you apply for financial aid for the 2012-2013 year. UMM's
priority funding deadline is March 1st. We encourage all of our students to visit www.fafsa.gov and submit the FAFSA for the next academic year.

NEW THIS YEAR -- IRS Data Retrieval!

You will need your tax information and your parents tax information
from 2011 to complete the FAFSA. This year we encourage you to sign on
to www.fafsa.gov
and retrieve your IRS tax information directly from the IRS! Your
tax information will be available for retrieval 1 - 2 weeks after you
file your taxes electronically, or 4 - 6 weeks after you file your taxes
on paper. If you haven't filed your taxes yet, don't let that stop you!
Complete the FAFSA using estimated tax information. When you have
completed your taxes then sign back on and retrieve your tax information
directly from the IRS.

Why is filing my FAFSA early so important? UMM has a limited
amount of financial aid to award students, and when it's gone, it's
gone! Students who apply early maximize their eligibility for financial
aid.

I've filed my FAFSA, now what? The most important thing you can
do is be looking for any additional requests for information either
from the federal processing center, or from UMM. Sometimes our office is
required to verify certain information you've submitted on your FAFSA.
Don't worry - this doesn't mean you've done something wrong! The best
thing you can do is provide us with the documentation we're asking for
as soon as you can. This will ensure that our office is able to continue
processing your financial aid application in a timely manner.

How do I know if everything is 'okay' with my FAFSA? When you
complete your FAFSA, you should receive a confirmation email from the
federal processing center. This email will be sent to the email address
you provided while filling out the FAFSA. Keep this email! Also, be
looking for requests for information from our office which will appear
on your 'to-do' list in your Student Center in MaineStreet.

How will I be contacted by the Financial Aid Office if there is something I need to do?Excellent
question! This might be the most important piece of information you'll
ever receive from our office...are you ready for it? We send paper mail to the
address you provide in MaineStreet, or send email to your 'maine.edu' email address. Always make sure your mailing address is current, and you are checking your email regularly!

What if I have questions about the FAFSA, or financial aid in general? First, try visiting the financial aid page on the UMM website here: http://machias.edu/financial-aid.htmlIf you still need help, feel free to contact our office at 255-1203, or by emailing us at ummfinancialaid@maine.edu. We're happy to help!